Tens of thousands of elderly people with dementia see friends or family just
once a week, according to a landmark report warning of an “epidemic of
loneliness” among Britain’s most vulnerable.

The study by the Alzheimer’s Society says that 250,000 people - almost one third of those suffering from dementia - are now living alone in their own homes.

Of those, 29 per cent only see friends or family once a week, while 23 per cent can only expect one weekly phone call.

Jeremy Hughes, the charity’s chief executive said: “This report reveals the stark truth that too many people with dementia, especially the thousands who live alone, are truly isolated.

“We need to put a stop to this epidemic of loneliness, not only to improve quality of life but also to save thousands from reaching crisis point and being admitted to hospital unnecessarily or care homes early.”

One in three people over the age of 65 will develop dementia and there is currently no cure.

The research, involving more than 500 dementia sufferers, found that almost 62 per cent of those living alone described themselves as lonely, compared with 24 per cent of the general population aged 55 and over.

The report calls on NHS and social care services to do more to enable people with dementia to retain their independence, but says communities and families need to do more to stop elderly vulnerable people becoming isolated and afraid.

Mr Hughes said: “Dementia is now a public and political priority in a way that it has never been before. And yet, we are still seeing that many people with dementia are cut off from society. With minimal and infrequent social contact, thousands are left feeling lonely and lacking the confidence to do things they used to enjoy.”

One third of dementia sufferers said they had lost friends following a diagnosis.

A separate YouGov survey of 2,000 people carried out for the charity found that 35 per cent of people would not feel comfortable, or did not know how they would feel about having a conversation with a person with dementia.

Last week health officials warned that many dementia sufferers are not receiving basic levels of care.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence said those in care homes were too often left “alone in a chair in the corner” when they should be able to expect companionship and leisure activities tailored to their interests.

There are currently about 800,000 people with dementia in the UK, the majority of cases involving Alzheimer's disease. Britain's ageing population means the number is expected to rise to more than 1.2 million by 2028.

The charity has appointed more than 40 ambassadors to champion the rights of people with dementia.

In the foreward to the report, one of them, Arlene Phillips, choreographer and TV presenter, describes her struggle to care for her father as he became increasingly confused after developing dementia at the age of 77 and became prone to wandering the streets.

She said: “In the end, to help him navigate his way home I ensured every one of his coat pockets contained his address and my phone number.”

She said she helped her father stay in his own home for as long as possible because that was his choice but that society needed to do more to ensure that people with dementia had support networks and did not end up becoming “prisoners in the place that they live”.